


5 Times Ryan Saw Ray at Work and the One Time He Didn't

by angrygoomba



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: 5 Times, Crushes, Fluff, M/M, Multi, coffee shop AU, ryan the IT guy, waiter!Ray
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2015-11-10
Packaged: 2018-04-16 14:34:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4628895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angrygoomba/pseuds/angrygoomba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan realized he was still smiling halfway home, thinking about the cute waiter. A pizza-loving gamer, he thought, with a cute smile and dark eyes that held a slight sparkle. If Ryan didn’t know any better, he’d say he had a bit of a crush.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Impressions Aren't Always Bad

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came up while I was at work, and I bet you can guess what I do.
> 
> Big thanks to my best friend and beta, cellostiel! They're so fantastic, and this piece would be nothing without them!!
> 
> If you find any issues or any tags I should add, please let me know! Not yet sure if this will become a series, but more to be posted soon!

It was sometime after 11 when Ryan finally shut down his computer and gathered his things to go home. He’d only been promoted to head IT manager at Risinglock Security a week ago, and already there were mountains of paperwork to go over. Not only did he have his own work and reports to do, now he had to review and sign off on every other IT worker’s reports as well before they got sent to the main corporation for filing.

Ryan spent years as just one of the workers, monitoring security systems in businesses and homes alike. It was only thanks to their state branch owner retiring early that he got promoted, as did everyone above him. Ryan was a little apprehensive on accepting the position, but the major pay raise and his own office as well as two more vacation weeks per year made it almost stupid to turn down. Not that those mattered to him right now anyways, since this was the third day in a row that Ryan stayed late to finish paperwork.

It was a bit ridiculous, Ryan thought, that he had to fill out physical paper forms _and_ enter all the information into the computer system. He didn’t have to stay late, but he was never one to let work pile up, so he stayed until he was caught up for the next day before clocking out.

With keys in hand and everything in order, he locked his office door and headed down the stairs to the underground parking lot. His car was the only one left, even the janitors having already headed out for the night. As he unlocked his car, his stomach grumbled loudly. He hadn’t taken a break to get something to eat since he knew once he left the office, he wouldn’t want to come back. Thankfully his assistant Barb had shown him a 24-hour café a few blocks away from the office. He headed in that direction until he saw the faintly glowing sign that read Heavenly Grinds in large, swooping letters. Ryan pulled up next to the curb in front and parked, taking a deep breath as he shut off the ignition. If he did maybe two more late nights he could be caught up and not have to worry about much over the weekend. He idly contemplated having Barb start ordering him dinner before she left tomorrow so he wouldn’t have to wait to eat as he walked inside, but a voice made him blink and look up.

“Ay-o,” came a voice from the front counter, and Ryan looked at the guy leaning on his elbow there. A lightly tan face framed by black rimmed glasses and a goatee smiled at him, making Ryan smile back. They guy couldn’t be older than 22, probably a college student, Ryan thought, and judging by the mussed hair and shadows under his eyes he was just as tired as Ryan was. “Go ahead and sit wherever you want.” Ryan nodded and took a seat in one of the booths that lined the wall to his right as the younger man came out from behind the counter.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” he asked Ryan as he came up to the table. “Coffee? Coke? Shot of whiskey?” Ryan blinked at that and looked at him. The guy - Ray, according to his nametag - grinned at the look Ryan gave him. “Just kidding, my boss would kill me if I tried to give away his good stuff.” Ryan chuckled and finally answered.

“Just coffee is fine,” he said, clearing his throat and hoping the gruffness of his voice was from the late night and lack of talking for the last five hours and not from a cold. “Save the whiskey for someone who doesn’t have to work at 8 tomorrow.” Ray nodded and left to grab his drink. Ryan watched him fill a small pitcher with steaming black liquid and pick up a mug from a tray, taking in his fluid movements and smiling softly at the way he tapped out a rhythm with his fingers while the pitcher filled. He came back with the coffee and set the mug down, filling it then setting the pitcher next to it.

“You know what you want to eat, or are you just here for a pick-me-up?” Ray asked, fishing a pad of paper and a pen out of a pocket of his apron. It hung low on his thin hips and reminded Ryan of the kind that Rachel from Friends wore.

Ryan opened his mouth then shut it, realizing he hadn’t even looked at the menu yet. He sheepishly pulled it out of the small stand on the table next to the wall and flipped it open. Ray smiled and switched his weight from one foot to the other. After a few seconds of Ryan staring blankly at the menu Ray let out a small amused huff.

“Would you like a recommendation?” he asked. Ryan looked up at him, nodding gratefully. Ray set the pad on the table and slipped his pen behind his ear, leaning over Ryan to point at the menu. “Go for the bacon cheese burger. If it’s one thing that makes this place good it’s the bacon.” Ray leaned back, sliding his hands in his back pockets as he added, “Although it is only two strips. But I guess the fact there’s bacon chunks in the patty makes up for that.”

“That sounds perfect,” Ryan said, putting the menu back. “A little bacon after a long day is probably what I need.”

“You got it.” Ray picked up the pad again and scribbled down his order before grabbing the pitcher of coffee and turning to slip his order through a window into the kitchen. “Order in!” he called, sniggering at the curse that was aimed at him from someone in the back.

Ryan watched him talk and bicker with the cook. Ray seemed to like to tuck his hands in his back pockets as he talked, and Ryan liked seeing him laugh and flip off whoever he was talking to. He took this time where Ray wasn’t looking to really take in his appearance. The younger man was wearing a faded jersey tee with YOLO printed on it in block letters and black jeans that matched his apron. The shirt looked just a bit big the way it hung around his chest and arms, but the jeans fit him nicely.

Ryan realized he had been staring at his ass for a bit too long and forced himself to look around at the café instead. From what he could see, everything was shades of brown. The walls were a light tawny, the tables and chairs all deep mahogany. He assumed all the brown was to make the place feel earthy and warm, but it seemed like a lot. The booth he was sitting in was cushy, but even the leather was a chocolate brown that was a bit too different than every other shade in the room. Ryan wasn’t exactly sure he liked how it looked.

He took another sip of his coffee and when he looked up Ray was walking up to the table.

“Refill?” he asked, gesturing to the pitcher of coffee in his hand. His cup wasn’t even half empty, but he was starting to like Ray’s company so he nodded. While his cup was being filled, Ryan looked up at the young waiter.

“Not a lot of business at night?” Ryan asked, partially out of curiosity and partially to keep Ray at his table. When Ray met his eyes, Ryan added, “The chef didn’t exactly sound happy I’m here.” Ray laughed at that and set the pitcher on the table.

“Geoff has a new baby at home, so he usually works this shift for his wife to let her get some extra sleep,” Ray explained. “She owns the place, but he’s been running it since she got pregnant.” Ryan felt like there was an unsaid into the ground there, but the ding of a bell from the kitchen made Ray turn and walk away before Ryan could ask him anything else.

Not even a few seconds later there was an amazing smell, and Ray was back setting a plate in front of him. A gorgeous burger with some sort of artisanal bun was sitting in the middle of a plate surrounded by thick cut French fries that looked dusted in some sort of seasoning. Ryan could see the bacon slices sticking out from under the bun, and there were definitely bacon chunks in the beef. If he wasn’t hungry before, he sure was now, feeling like he was drooling. Ray must have seen the look he gave the burger because he chuckled and took a step back.

“Go ahead and dig in, man,” he said, “I’ll be around if you need anything.” Ryan gave him a smile and a small thanks. He caught the way Ray’s cheeks turned a little pink right before he turned away and walked into the back.

Ryan didn’t waste time digging in. It was only sheer exhaustion that kept him from stuffing everything in his face. The burger was delicious and had a barbeque taste to it, the fries coated in this peppery seasoning that made a good compliment to the bacon. After a few large bites he sighed, chewing slowly with his eyes closed. Barbara had been right about this place having good food, but he might just pick on her a little for not telling him just how good it was. The burger was half gone after just a few minutes, so Ryan slowed down and took a gulp of his coffee. He never noticed the slight cinnamon tinge in it until now, and made the decision to come here tomorrow for lunch.

A soft humming caught his attention and he turned his head to look at Ray behind the counter. He had a game pad in his hand and was clicking away at the buttons, humming along to the tune from whatever game he was playing. He had his tongue sticking out a little and his brows were furrowed in concentration. After a few seconds he jumped up with a quiet “Yes!” most likely winning at what he was doing. Ryan wondered what it was he was playing as he finished his food.

A quick glance at the clock showed he had been there almost thirty minutes, so Ryan downed the last of his coffee and stood. The movement caught Ray’s attention and he quickly stowed his game as Ryan walked up to the cash register.

“You were right,” said Ryan, pulling out his wallet. Ray looked up, brow raised. “The bacon is amazing.” Ray grinned at that and took the credit card Ryan handed him.

“Thought you might like it,” he said. “The only thing that beats it is pizza and that’s if there were actually any good pizza places in this town.”

“Try Burnie’s on 7th,” Ryan suggested. “Their classic pepperoni is my favorite.”

“No way, that’s a pizza joint?” Ray looked surprised, and Ryan smiled, nodding. “I thought that was just some crappy bar.”

“One of my college buddies owns it, actually. You should check it out.” Ryan took back his card and slipped it in his wallet before putting it in back in his pocket.

“I am so going to do that as soon as I can, oh my god,” Ray proclaimed, running a hand through his hair. “Thanks, man.” Ryan smiled again at the cute waiter.

“Just don’t tell him Ryan sent you or you’ll probably get a burnt one,” he said, backing up towards the door. Ray laughed loudly at that.

“Will do,” said the younger man. “Have a good night, Ryan.” he said his name a little shyly.

“You too, Ray,” said Ryan with a smile as he opened the door and gave him a small wave before turning and walking out.

Ryan realized he was still smiling halfway home, thinking about the cute waiter. A pizza-loving gamer, he thought, with a cute smile and dark eyes that held a slight sparkle. If Ryan didn’t know any better, he’d say he had a bit of a crush. But as he pulled up to his apartment building and parked, his exhaustion hit him full force and he didn’t have the energy to dwell on it anymore. Instead, he headed inside and practically fell into bed as soon as he locked the door and kicked his shoes off. Only after a few minutes of just laying there did he plug in his phone and set his alarm for the morning. His last thought before he drifted off was wondering if Ray would be there tomorrow night, too.


	2. Sunshine Smiles (aka Gavin is Gonna Get His Ass Beat One Day)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I think you’re smitten, Ray,” Gavin said teasingly and walked into the kitchen.  
> “I am not,” Ray said indignantly, rubbing a hand across his still blushing cheek.  
> “You are,” Gavin sing-songed. “You wanna kiss that guy, and hold his hand, and do naughty things with him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got this done!
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you like this next chapter.
> 
> Huge thanks again to my beta and bunny prinxe, cellostiel! I'd be nothing without your help.
> 
> If you find any mistakes, leave me a comment, as I usually do all my writing and editing in the middle of the night.
> 
> Thanks again, and enjoy!!!

Ryan didn’t manage to go to Heavenly Grinds for lunch the next day like he had hoped. The local branch director called a meeting for all the managers to explain to them about the new owner and what new adjustments would be made regarding their specific branch. It wasn’t a difficult meeting, but it was boring and long, and Ryan had the biggest craving for bacon and cinnamon coffee by the end of it.

When it was finally over, he headed back to his office. Barbara was at her desk outside his door, typing away at her computer with a bag from What-A-Burger at her elbow and an empty latte cup from the Heavenly Grinds. Ryan’s stomach must have rumbled louder than he thought when he approached her, because she looked up at him and smirked.

“Don’t say a word,” Ryan mumbled, putting a hand to his stomach.

“You don’t have to be all grumbly,” Barb said, grinning at her pun when Ryan rolled his eyes. “Knew you’d be hungry so I got you lunch.” She pointed at his desk through the door to her left. He walked over to the bag and looked in, seeing two burgers wrapped in paper and a large container of fries. Not as fancy as last night’s meal, he thought, but still good enough after sitting and listening to his boss drone on almost all day. He sat at his desk as he ate, and after a few minutes Barb poked her head in.

“I’m making another coffee run in a little bit, you want anything?” she asked, her blonde curls cascading over her shoulder. Ryan swallowed and nodded.

“You going to that cafe?” he asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin. When she nodded he added, “Plain black of that cinnamon one.” He thought better of asking her to see if there was a specific waiter working there right now.

“Did you finally go check it out?” Barbara asked, stepping into the room.

“I stayed late last night; it was the only place open when I finally left,” Barbara frowned at that, and Ryan shrugged, saying, “I had paperwork to finish.” She sighed and shook her head, but smiled.

“Isn’t their coffee amazing? I don’t know why it’s got that cinnamon taste, but it’s so great.” she gushed. “Did you get anything to eat?”

“The bacon cheese burger,” Ryan replied. “I don’t think I’ve had a better burger than that.” Barb raised her eyebrows.

“Better than What-A-Burger?” She scoffed at his nod, but smiled.

“The patty had bacon chunks in it, Barb,” Ryan said, looking at her earnestly. “Even you can’t say that doesn’t sound amazing.”

“That does,” she said, crossing her arms and frowning at the bag on Ryan’s desk. “Now I’m gonna have to get us lunch from there tomorrow.”

“If you do, I’ll buy.” Ryan said, then added, “I’ll even drive us over there and we could just sit and eat.” Maybe he could see Ray tomorrow if not today. Barb’s eyebrows raised at his sudden enthusiasm for the small cafe.

“Is it really that good that you’d miss working through your lunch hour to go and have a meal?” she asked.

“Well,” Ryan started, then trailed off. “The food is good, and so is the coffee and...” He thought of Ray and his fingers that tapped a rhythm and his smile that made Ryan wanna smile, and his cheeks felt a little warm. Barb crossed her arms and smirked.

“And what?” she pressed.

“And… that’s it.” he said with a shrug, looking at her. “I just really like their food.”

“Mhmm,” his assistant mused. “Then it’s settled. We’ll go for lunch tomorrow. For now I’ll go get some coffee.” She gave him a small wave as she left his office with her bag and keys in hand.

Ryan knew he might have made a bit of a mistake saying they could go to lunch, knowing how much Barb liked to tease him. They became good friends when she started working as the previous manager’s assistant, and when he took over the position their friendship didn’t really change. She was never mean to him, but if she found out he wanted to go there just to talk to the cute waiter, he’d never hear the end of it.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked at all the work still on his desk that had been added to during his time in the meeting. Ryan was not looking forward to another late night, so he figured he could organize it enough that he could come in early tomorrow and finish what was left. He grabbed the now empty bag of food and set it in the garbage can next to his desk. He felt better with food in his stomach, but not as satisfied as he wished he was. With a sigh, Ryan stretched his neck before leaning over his desk to begin his work.

Not thirty minutes later, a cup was set gently next to his computer and Ryan looked up. Barb gave him a smile as she pulled her hand back.

“Thank you,” he sighed, taking the cup in hand and risking a sip of the hot liquid. The subtle cinnamon hint warmed his tongue almost as much as the heat, but he didn’t care. It smelled amazing, and it was just the thing he needed.

“No problem,” said Barb, smiling as she took a sip of her own coffee and leaned against the wall. The only bad thing about Ryan’s office was that it was quite small, so he had no room for anything other than his desk and chair, a filing cabinet, and a thin, tall bookshelf in one corner. It was relatively plain, but was cozy and far enough down the hall from the main IT room that any noise from there was muffled. Barb’s desk was positioned outside his door in the small alcove of the hall. She could easily knock on his door for his attention without even standing from her chair, but usually chose to open it and come in when she needed to talk to him. Ryan didn’t mind usually, and she had been a great help at getting him used to the new position.

They both drank their coffee in silence. After a few minutes, a beep from his computer made them both look up.

“Oh, hell,” he muttered. Apparently one of the IT employees found a bug in one of the systems he was monitoring and requested his assistance through a memo. Ryan groaned inwardly. Just what he needed - a code bug. At this rate he should just go home at a normal time and come in early tomorrow morning to get all this work done. He stood, downing another gulp of his coffee.

“If anyone calls for me, take a message,” he said to Barb, who nodded and followed him out of his office. She sat at her desk while Ryan headed down to the main IT work room. This was not gonna be fun.

~

While Ryan didn’t leave the office at a normal time, he didn’t stay late that day either. Instead he made a list of what paperwork was most important and left it for himself for the morning. He’d been in the IT room overlooking the techs as they worked the small bug out for most of the afternoon. It had taken a long time and Ryan was in no mood to deal with anything else for that day. Instead he grabbed his coat and keys and headed to the garage. It had started raining while he was working, large rain drops falling onto his windshield as he pulled out of the parking lot.

With a headache forming behind his eyes, he headed towards Heavenly Grinds, figuring some caffeine might ease his irritability. There were cars taking up the few spots in front of the cafe, so Ryan was forced to park a ways down the street and walk up to the door. He shook water out of his hair as he stepped inside, running a hand through it before looking up. To his disappointment, Ray wasn’t standing behind the counter. Instead, there was a taller man that looked around Ray’s age with a prominent nose and sandy blonde hair that went in every direction. He was writing out an order ticket, but when Ryan walked in, he looked up.

“Hello,” he said in greeting. He had a British accent that caught Ryan by surprise but he didn’t seem to notice the look Ryan gave him. He looked back down at his pad and said, “Sit where you like, someone will be with you shortly.” Ryan stood there for another second, taking off his jacket and giving it a small shake to get any excess rain water off of it. He looked around as it dripped. He still wasn’t used to all the brown everywhere, but someone had tried to remedy it by placing small bouquets of daisies on a few of the tables. The small bits of green and white didn’t do much to make the ambiance any better, but it did remind Ryan that spring was almost over and soon the summer heat would set in. That would explain the rain, he thought to himself. Instead of going to sit in the booth he sat in the day before, he instead walked up to the counter.

“Can I just get some coffee to go?” he asked. The British boy looked up and nodded.

“Sure, gimme just a minute,” he said, finishing writing out whatever order he had just taken. He put it in the window into the kitchen and dinged a small bell. “Order in!” He walked over to the doorway leading back into the kitchen and called, “Ray, can you come here and give me a hand?” Ryan perked at the sound of Ray’s name. He told himself he’d question why that made his heart feel a little lighter later, because not two seconds after Ray came out from the back and locked eyes with Ryan.

“Hey, man,” Ray said, smiling wide. “Didn’t think I’d see you again so soon.” Ryan smiled back and stepped up closer to the counter. Ray was tying his apron around his waist and his hair looked wet. His shirt today was black with four different pokemon on it and it was speckled with dark wet spots.

Ryan didn’t respond to what Ray said and instead asked, “Did you just get here?” It was only after he asked that he realized how creepy he sounded. He had only met him the night before; he shouldn’t be wondering about his work schedule. But instead of looking offended or creeped out, Ray huffed a laugh.

“Yeah, my shift just started,” he said, running a hand through his wet hair and making it stick up. “Luckily I made it here before the rain got too bad.” Ryan turned and looked out the window behind him. Lightning streaked through the sky with a flash and the rain was coming down in sheets. So much for just grabbing a drink, Ryan thought. He turned around back to Ray and voiced his thought outloud. Ray laughed.

“At least you can drive and not get soaked,” he said, shaking a few droplets of water off his glasses. “I only live a mile away but I ride my bike to work.”

“I could have given you a ride if you’d called me,” said the sandy blonde from behind Ray. Neither of them remembered he was standing there, and Ray turned to look at him.

“Not if you’re on the clock, dumbass,” Ray said to him. “I would have had Michael drive me but he left his keys in your car after you guys banged in it last night.” The blonde let out a squawk like a bird that made Ray laugh.

“That is not true,” the taller one whined, turning red. “He probably left them in there after we went to dinner.”

“Whatever you say, Gavin,” laughed Ray. “I’m sure Michael lost his glasses, shirt, and pants in there after dinner, too.” The blonde, Gavin, turned more red and punched Ray on the arm before going back into the kitchen complaining and muttering something about stupid nobs.

“Sorry about that,” Ray said, giving Ryan a smile. “He’s my best friend, but he’s an idiot so I can’t resist teasing him.”

“It’s fine,” said Ryan. “He seems like an easy target.”

“Oh, he is. Even without me teasing him he’d embarrass himself somehow.” Ray had a fond smile on his face as he glanced back at the doorway. When he looked back at Ryan, he remembered why he was here. “So what can I get for you?”

Ryan thought about driving home in the current rain and decided he could wait until it lightened up a bit.

“A cup of coffee, please,” he said. “Is it okay if I just sit and drink it here while I wait for the rain to clear a bit?”

“Dude, go for it,” Ray said. “Just black coffee?” When Ryan nodded he grabbed a cup. “I’ll ring you up before you go.” He turned and started filling the cup with coffee. Ryan watched him snap on a lid and slide on a cardboard koozie to keep his hand from getting hurt from the heat. “Here you go.”

Ryan took the cup out of Ray’s hand, their fingers brushing together as he grabbed it. A slight spark and tingle went through his fingers, and Ryan blinked. Ray pulled his hand away slowly and cleared his throat, his cheeks a little bit pink. Ryan looked at him and smiled.

“Thanks,” he said, trying to ignore that his voice came out a little rough. Ray nodded silently at him. Ryan turned to find a place to sit, but Ray speaking again made him turn back around.

“If you need a refill let me know,” said the younger man, slipping his hands into his back pockets. “Just wave me over and I’ll come fill it for you.” Ryan smiled and nodded.

“Thank you, I will.” Ryan turned and made his way over to the same booth he’d sat in the night before. He watched the rain come down and beat against the window while he drank his coffee. The café only had a few other customers at the time. It was almost dark outside and Ryan guessed everyone would rather stay home than go out to eat during the storm. He didn't mind the rain very much; it was peaceful and helped ease his headache. The coffee helped as well, but he was only taking small sips, keeping its warmth for his fingers. Ryan sat there staring out the window for a while and only faintly heard the conversation going on at the counter. 

"That was so mean, Ray," Gavin whined with a pout. "You don't have to talk so loud about mine and Michael's relationship you know."

"You're right, I'm sorry," said Ray, but he smirked. "You guys are loud enough on your own without my help." The blonde made another noise and Ray laughed a little.

"Why are you being so mean to me today?" Gavin asked. "Is everything okay?" Ray sighed. His friend might be a clumsy idiot but he cared and Ray was grateful. With a shrug and a glance at Ryan that he hoped Gavin didn't see, he shook his head. But Gavin caught the glance, and he frowned. 

"Did that guy do something to you?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. "He wasn't rude to you, was he? I can kick him out if you like." Ray shook his head and looked up at his friend. 

"Dude, no, chill out. He didn't do anything to me." Ray ran a hand through his hair, lowering his voice. "That guy just came in last night during the late shift and, I don't know, I guess maybe I think he's hot and funny and I kinda wanna ask him out." Ray’s cheeks were pink when he stopped talking and didn't look at his friend, instead staring at a spot on the counter next to him.

"Ohh, I see," Gavin said with a grin. "You like him." Ray rolled his eyes and lightly punched his friend’s shoulder.

"Be quiet, dumbass, he might hear you." Ray turned away from the direction Ryan was facing in case he noticed that he was staring like a weirdo.

"Go talk to him, you donut," said the Brit. "How are you ever going to ask him out if you don't even know his name.”

"I do know his name," Ray said indignantly. "It's Ryan. And his last name starts with an H, I think." Gavin raised one of his eyebrows and gave him a look.

"Yeah, that's pathetic." Ray admitted, sighing. "It's just, I don't want to be that weird waiter that hits on the guy that's only been here twice. Besides, a hot guy like that has got to have a girlfriend." Gavin shrugged.

“I don’t know, man. He’s been here almost fifteen minutes and hasn’t looked at his phone once.” Gavin said, crossing his arms. “If I were stuck somewhere in a storm I’d call my partner and tell them where I was.” Ray thought about that for a moment and glanced at Ryan as he just stared out the window. He had barely moved since he sat down, only to bring his cup to his lips every so often.

“Fine, I’ll talk to him.” Ray muttered and grabbed a pitcher of coffee. He went around filling the cups of other customers and somewhat avoiding talking to Ryan. When only Ryan’s table was left and Ray still had half a pot of coffee, he slowly approached the table. Ryan didn’t look up when Ray came to the table. He was watching the rain fall on the road and beat against the window. Ray wanted to cough or clear his throat to get his attention, and he should have, but he got distracted looking at Ryan’s profile. After a few seconds Ryan brought his cup to his lips and when he finally noticed Ray standing there he startled. Ray jumped a bit too and turned red.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Ray apologized. “I was just gonna ask if you wanted a refill but you looked so calm just watching the rain and I wasn’t staring or anything I just didn’t want to interrupt you.” Ray stopped his babbling before he started to sound too creepy, but he was sure he already crossed that line. Ryan just blinked at him before smiling and stifling a laugh behind his hand. The lad turned more red and flustered, and Ryan cleared his throat and gave one last small chuckle.

“I would love a refill, thank you,” Ryan said, uncapping his cup. He held it out for Ray, who filled it with a shaky grip on the pot. Ryan already thought Ray was attractive, but his awkward apology made the older man find him adorable. When his cup was full again, Ryan snapped the lid back on. Ray turned to go, but Ryan stopped him.

“Ray?” the older man called out. The lad turned around, his face still red.

“Yeah?”

Ryan looked at him for a moment, then shook his head.

“Nevermind. Thank you for the refill,” Ryan said with a small smile. Ray felt his heart skip a beat at his smile, and all he could do was nod in response. Ray backed towards the counter, then turned and practically ran into the kitchen. He set the pot of coffee he was still holding onto a counter and put a hand to his chest.

“Calm down you idiot,” he muttered to himself. “You’ve only talked to him twice, there’s no reason to be acting like some fucking school girl with a crush.”

“But you do have a crush.”

Ray jumped with a small gasp and spun around to face Gavin, who was standing in the doorway with a smirk on his face.

“I think you’re smitten, Ray,” Gavin said teasingly and walked into the kitchen.

“I am not,” Ray said indignantly, rubbing a hand across his still blushing cheek.

“You are,” Gavin sing-songed. “You wanna kiss that guy, and hold his hand, and do naughty things with him.”

“No I don’t, I just kinda think he’s hot.” Ray crossed his arms and tried to look nonchalant. Gavin raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms as well.

“If you aren’t smitten, then explain why your cheeks are all red and you totally froze up when he gave you that dashing smile.” Ray gave a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. He shoved his hands in his pockets under his apron and stared at the ground while he scuffed his foot on the floor.

“Fuck, I don’t know,” he relented. “Honestly, I just wanted to ask him out and see if he was down to fuck, but when he smiled like the fucking sun it made my heart beat funny and I thought that, I don’t know, I wanna see if I can make him smile like that all the time.”

Ray looked up at his friend and blinked at the look he was giving him. Gavin’s eyes were wide and he had the biggest, dopiest grin on his face.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Ray, you’re so smitten,” Gavin cooed and patted his shorter friend on the head. “Ohh, you’ve got it bad.”

“I-” Ray was gonna protest, but he stopped. His friend was right, Ray really was getting a crush on Ryan, and it was getting strong. “Shut up.” Ray gave a small pout and crossed his arms. Gavin cooed at him a bit more and giggled. Ray punched him on the arm and was about to wrestle him to the ground when Geoff came around the corner from the main room of the kitchen.

“Hey idiots, no fighting in my kitchen,” the older man said. The two lads straightened, and Ray gave Gavin one last punch on his arm. Geoff rolled his eyes. “There’s someone standing at the register, dumbasses. Go do your jobs.”

Ray was grumbling under his breath when he walked back out into the front of the house with Gavin in tow, rubbing his sore arm. The rain must have stopped while Ray was talking with Gavin, because Ryan was standing at the counter with his still damp coat already on and a few bills in his hand. Ray stepped up to the register and started ringing him up, not sure what to say to him. It was Ryan who broke the silence.

“Do you work tomorrow?” he asked suddenly, and Ray looked up. He shouldn’t really be telling someone he barely knows his work schedule, but he replied before he could think better of it.

“I work the lunch shift tomorrow,” the lad said. “It’s one of those professor meeting days at my school, so since classes are cancelled I figured I’d pick up an extra shift.” Ryan smiled at that and handed Ray his money to pay for his coffee.

“That’s good. Save a table for me, then,” said the older man. “My assistant didn’t believe me when I told her about the bacon in the patty.” Ray smiled and gave Ryan his change with a small nod.

“I can do that,” Ray replied. “What time you thinking you’ll come in?” Ryan pocketed his change and thought for a minute.

“Around maybe 1?” Ryan nodded to himself as if checking off a mental schedule and met Ray’s eyes again. “That’s usually when I get a break to eat.”

“It’s a date, then.” Ray said, then mentally kicked himself. “I mean, I’ll keep a table free for you. Tomorrow.” Ryan gave Ray a smile, the same kind he’d given him before, and Ray kicked himself mentally again, this time for his heart giving another hard thump at the sight of it. “I’ll try and save your usual booth for you, if you want.” He added as Ryan backed up towards the door.

“Sounds great,” Ryan said, and he gave Ray a wave. “See you tomorrow, Ray.”

“Yeah, see you,” Ray replied and when Ryan was out the door and headed towards his car, he sighed and put his head in his hands again.

“Smitten,” came a coo from behind him. Ray groaned.

“Just shut up,” Ray sighed. His last bit of denial left out the door with Ryan, and Ray was left with a warm feeling in his chest and pink cheeks. With one final sigh, Ray stood up straight. Fuck it, I’ll ask him out tomorrow, he thought, and went back to work.


	3. Dragon Age and Barb the Menace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You are so into him,” she hissed, a giant grin on her face.
> 
> “Shut up,” Ryan mumbled, feeling his cheeks heat up.
> 
> Barb crossed her arms. “You stared at him the entire time we were talking, don’t even lie. He’s really cute, Ryan. You need to hit that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally an update! Sorry for the long wait, I moved and had to get settled.
> 
> Here we are! The next chapter of these two idiots! There are quite a few Dragon Age references, so be aware!
> 
> Huge thanks to my favorite person, cellostiel, for helping me write and edit this.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, if you find any mistakes that I overlooked, let me know.
> 
> Enjoy!

To say Ray was busy was an understatement. He didn’t normally work Fridays, so the stories he heard of how much business they got hadn’t really affected him until now. From the moment he came in at 11 he had immediately taken two orders and helped Griffon make 5 different drinks for those that only came in for their next caffeine fix. He was running around helping carry food out to diners, refill drinks, take a few more orders, make sure the right people got their food to go.

He didn’t realize it had been almost two hours when the rush finally died down and he had a moment to breathe. He took a minute to get himself a glass of water, leaning against the work table in the kitchen. He sighed and stretched his back, hearing it pop. He hadn’t slept much, since he worked the late night shift the day before. And even with not having classes and being able to sleep until his shift, he was tired.

He heard the tinkling of a bell, the sign the front door had swung open and he sighed.

“Go away,” he groaned to himself but kicked off the table and rounded the corner of the doorway into the front. A pretty lady with round blue eyes and blonde curls was looking around for a seat, and when she spotted him she smiled.

“Hello,” Ray said, feigning his usual customer service voice. “Go ahead and have a seat wherever you want, I’ll be with you in a minute.” The lady nodded and was about to go find a table when the door opened behind her. Ryan stepped through and smiled at the blonde before his eyes met Ray’s and his smile widened. 

“Ryan,” Ray said happily. He couldn’t help the genuine smile that made its way onto his face from the sight of the older man, having almost completely forgot their conversation the night before.

“Hello, Ray,” Ryan said back, walking the few steps up to the counter. “You got that table saved for me?” When Ray didn’t reply right away, Ryan raised a brow. “Or did you forget?”

“N-No, I didn’t forget!” Ray said quickly, trying to fight off a blush from being looked at by those intense blue eyes. “Your usual spot is open for you, if you want it.” He gestured to the brown booth.

There was a small family sitting there no less than 10 minutes ago, and Ray silently thanked Griffon for having cleared it off and wiped it clean already. It was just them and Jack and Michael working the kitchen now that the main lunch rush was over, so she had gone back to work on the following week’s shift schedule and left Ray to handle the front.

Ryan gave him one of those sunshine smiles before turning to sit, the blonde woman following him. Ray had to take a few deep breaths and quickly peek at himself in the mirror lining the wall behind the counter. He smoothed down his hair and gave himself a once-over. His usual dark work jeans and apron were more or less spot free, and his purple shirt with the words (Waluigi voice) WAH in bold yellow was relatively unwrinkled. He quickly straightened his name tag and pushed his glasses further up his nose before turning and walking over to Ryan’s booth.

Ryan had sat in the same spot he usually did while the lady, whom Ray was guessing was the assistant he mentioned the night before, sat across from him. Ryan was sliding off his coat as Ray approached so the lad turned to the woman first.

“Can I get you guys anything to drink?” He asked, trying to ignore the way the lady’s eyebrows raised as she looked at his shirt. Maybe the bright purple wasn’t the best idea, he thought.

“Just an iced tea for me, please,” she said, and Ray gave a nod.

“Coffee for me,” Ryan said, and Ray nodded again. “Oh, Ray, this is Barbara, my assistant. Barb, this is Ray.” Ryan gestured to each of them in turn, and Ray gave Barb a smile.

“Ryan didn’t tell me there was more than one reason he keeps coming here,” Barb said, a wide grin gracing her face. Ray frowned and opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but she continued, “It’s nice to meet you, Ray. Thanks for making sure my boss doesn’t starve to death.”

“It’s no problem, I’m the same way sometimes,” Ray said. He caught the glances the blonde was giving him and Ryan. “I’ll go get your drinks then come back for your order.” He gave them both a nod and turned away, quickly going to grab their drinks. Once he was out of earshot, Ryan’s assistant turned to him, a big grin on her face.

“So, the coffee is the only reason you like this place so much, huh,” she teased, smirking.

“What, it is.” Ryan said. Barbara raised her eyebrows.

“Sure, and the cute waiter in the geeky t shirt with the nice ass has absolutely nothing to do with it,” Barb said, folding her arms and looking smug. Ryan’s cheeks turned a little pink, and he spared a glance at Ray behind the counter. Ray was coming out of the kitchen with a fresh pitcher of iced tea and looked to be whistling some tune Ryan couldn’t hear. He’d be lying if he denied the fact he liked seeing Ray and that he found him attractive. But he didn’t want to flirt with Ray while he was working, and definitely not with Barb there, so he just crossed his arms and gave her a look.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, trying to look innocent. Barb rolled her eyes, but anything she was about to say was forgotten when Ray brought their drinks to the table.

Ray set down Barb’s iced tea, then filled a mug of coffee for Ryan.

“Thanks,” Ryan said, giving Ray a smile and pointedly ignoring Barb’s grin when Ray returned it.

“What can I get you guys?” Ray pulled out his notepad from his apron and looked at Ryan, doing his best to not seem nervous.

“Two of the bacon cheeseburgers,” Ryan stated and Ray jotted it down.

“It better be worth it,” Barb grumbled.

“Ohh, it is,” Ray said and looked up from his pad. “If you like meat you’ll like this.” Ray mentally kicked the shit out of himself for how that came out, but Barb just laughed a little and gave him a smile.

“Well, I know we all love meat, then,” she said, flashing a grin at Ryan. Ryan rolled his eyes and sighed, a fond smile on his face.

“Some more than others,” he retorted, and the blonde gave an affronted scoff.

Ray suddenly felt like he was a weird third wheel in a group he wasn’t a part of in the first place so he just chuckled a laugh and slipped his pen behind his ear.

“I’ll uh, bring these out when they’re ready for you,” he said awkwardly. As he was turning to leave, Ryan spoke again.

“I like your shirt, by the way,” he said. Ray couldn’t help smiling in response. “Purple is a nice color on you.” Ray’s cheeks felt warm at the kind look Ryan was giving him, and he decidedly ignored the uptick in his heart beat.

“Thanks, man,” he said, trying to slide into their usual banter. “If it were colder in here I’d wear my purple hoodie but it’s still wet from my bike ride to work yesterday.”

Ryan grimaced at the thought of Ray getting caught in the rain the day before, but Ray just gave a shrug in response to his sympathetic look. After just looking at each other for a beat too long, Ray cleared his throat and looked away.

“I’ll go put in your order,” he said awkwardly. Ryan gave him a nod and a small smile and Barb gave him a quiet thanks.

When he had walked away, Barb turned to Ryan again.

“You have a crush on him.” she said. The look she leveled him with made it clear that it was a statement. Ryan let out a small sigh.

“Even if I did, I wouldn’t try flirting with him while he’s at work,” Ryan said quietly so as not to be heard. The cafe was almost empty at that time of day and Ray was standing at the front counter, talking to someone through the window into the kitchen. He looked angry or upset, gesturing to himself and waving his arms around. He was talking quietly, though, so Ryan couldn’t hear what he was saying, just out of range.

“You mean more than you already have?” Barb replied, taking a sip of her tea with her eyebrows raised. Ryan felt a small pang of guilt at her words. He had acted quite friendly towards Ray, but he barely knew the guy. They both looked at him, who was now ringing someone up at the register with a tight smile. He glanced in their direction, looking away quickly when he saw them looking back, his cheeks pink. Barb turned to Ryan with a smirk. Seeing the frown on his face, though, Barb reached over and patted his hand.

“Oh calm down,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “He’s super into you, too. This whole time he’s been ranting about being into someone and not knowing what to do about it and it’s so obviously you that I’m gonna poke myself in the eye with how cliche this is.”

“You could hear him?” Ryan raised his eyebrows, and the blonde nodded.

“I have very good listening skills.” Barb crossed her arms and looked at Ryan proudly.

“Is that because you like to pay attention or you like to eavesdrop?”

“Hey, that is not the point,” Barb said and Ryan grinned. “The point is, that cute waiter likes you, and maybe you should ask him out.”

Ryan scoffed and took a swig of coffee. He looked out the window with his cup still at his mouth, hoping to hide how the thought that Ray was into him made him smile. Ryan stole a glance back at Ray and saw him picking up plates from the window. A few seconds later Ray came to the table and set down two delicious looking burgers.

“Oh my god,” Barb said at the sight of the burger, and Ryan smirked.

“Believe me now?” He crossed his arms and caught Ray’s eye, giving him a wink. Ray smiled at him, and they both watched Barb take a bite. Her already round eyes got bigger and Ryan laughed.

“You enjoy that,” Ray said and took a step back from the table.

“Thank you, Ray,” Ryan said and smiled at him. Ray gave him a half smile back before turning and walking away, giving one last glance at Ryan and his assistant digging into their food before disappearing into the kitchen.

Ray huffed and kicked one of the boxes of coffee beans that sat under the metal work table. For some reason he was unreasonably upset. He had more or less yelled at Michael through the window into the kitchen when he’d asked if Ray had gotten the balls to ask Ryan out yet, saying that Michael should mind his own business and tell his loud mouth boyfriend to stop using Ray’s life as a conversation topic. Michael had laughed but thankfully shut up, letting Ray stew in his piss poor mood and the fact that no, he hadn’t gotten the balls to ask out Ryan.

In fact, as Ray stood there, staring at the shelves of supplies and thinking silently, he’d lost the courage to do it all together. Ryan was really nice and really funny, and Ray loathed to admit he liked him as much as he did. But he felt like he was just some kid and wasn’t even allowed to try and ask him out. He felt more like just some stranger after seeing how Ryan smiled and laughed with his friend. Ray didn’t know if he could even go talk to them again. This was worse than the times Ray got stuck with one of the older couples that came in during the busiest hours and always wanted to talk to him, then leave the smallest tip they could. He hated it, but he’d rather deal with that right now than his awkward crush.

Ray groaned and rubbed his face, his exhaustion feeling stronger now. Remembering his glass of water on the work table, he gulped it down, then took a deep breath before going out to check on his customers.

No one new had come in while he was moping, but one lady in the corner waved him over for a refill on her coffee, so he went there first. The sounds of Barb and Ryan happily chatting and laughing made Ray wanna go back over there right then, but he’d just given them their food and from where he could see Barb’s cup, it was only half empty. Either way, he had to walk past them to get back to the front counter, so he just sighed and kept his eyes forward as he walked.

“So, don’t be jealous or anything, but guess who finally started the last Dragon Age Inquisition DLC the other night,” Barb said as Ray approached.

“You did? No spoilers, I haven’t had time to play it yet,” Ryan sighed. “This stupid promotion’s taking all of my gaming time.”

“You guys game?” Ray asked when he got to their table, making them both look up.

“When I can,” Ryan said with a shrug. “Work sucks recently.” Ray and Barb both nodded in sympathy to his statement. “You game too? What do you play?”

“Pretty much anything,” Ray said with a shrug. “The only thing I do besides school and work is play games.” That made them both laugh and Ray felt a little bit better. If Ryan played games, maybe Ray had a chance to talk and get to know him better. Of course, he also felt more nervous, because Ryan was now that much more amazing. Barb suddenly looked at Ray seriously and he swallowed.

“Have you played Dragon Age Inquisition?” she asked him and Ray nodded. “Have you played through the Trespasser DLC yet?”

“Just recently, actually,” as soon as he said it, Barb let out a loud groan and turned more towards him.

“Oh my god, I just started it and I’m a little confused about what’s going on,” she said quickly, and Ray smiled.

“Well the main plot is that the Qunari forces are trying to assassinate-” 

“Hey, no spoilers!” Ryan jumped in, cutting Ray off. Barb rolled her eyes at him but Ray smiled. “You can figure it out without cheating, Barb.” She gave him a half-hearted glare but sighed.

“Fine,” she grumbled, but turned to Ray again. “Did you romance anyone?” Ray thought for a moment, trying to remember the play through he finished just a few weeks ago.

“I think I romanced Blackwall even though I had to play as a female to do it,” he said, then looked back up at Barb. “Why?”

“Well I thought it would be good to try and romance Solas in this play through since I haven’t yet, but it’s not what I expected,” she said with a frown. Ray nodded and shrugged.

“Well, he’s an egg head, so I suggest going with someone else next time, especially when you get to the end, because-” Ray got cut off again to the sound of Ryan coughing loudly. They both turned and looked at him and he shrugged.

“I said no spoilers,” he said, and Ray laughed.

“Sorry, man, I’ll stop,” Ray promised, but Barb made a noise of protest.

“No, at least tell me how to get through the beginning,” she said. She gave Ryan a look, saying, “You can plug your ears if you don’t want spoilers; I need help.” Ryan sighed and rolled his eyes, but did as she suggested, sticking fingers in both ears and humming a soft tune to himself.

Once Ryan was tuned out, the two went back to talking, and Ryan just watched them. He looked at Ray and was glad to see that he was smiling. From the moment he had started talking to Barb about Dragon Age, his eyes had lit up and he was talking animatedly, his arms moving and the coffee pot he held swinging around more than it probably should. Ryan was happily surprised to find that Ray was a gamer, which meant if he ever got the nerve to ask him out, they’d at least have something to talk about and something to do.

Ray said something that made Barb and himself laugh, and Ryan shouldn’t help but keep staring at him, watching the way his eyes closed with laughter and the way his smile grew. He was definitely cute, and now Ryan was sure he liked the younger lad. He was also curious what made Ray choose to romance Blackwall. When Ryan played, he usually didn’t romance anyone. The time he did, though, it was Dorian, and that was his favorite play through so far. Although, watching Ray talk, he was reminded of Dorian a little. They were both very attractive, sarcastic, and hopefully attracted to men.

Ryan realized he didn’t even know if Ray was queer, let alone into him. Ryan had known he was bisexual since he was 13 and had a crush on these twins he went to school with. They were both really attractive, both with dark black hair and dimples, but the girl’s eyes were brown and the boy’s were green. Ryan got over that crush shortly after, but he knew he’d always be attracted to more than one gender. With Ray, though, Ryan didn’t know if he liked boys, girls, or anyone. He didn’t know much about Ray at all, actually, and Ryan was struck with the sudden urge to find out more about the younger lad. 

He he didn’t realize he was still staring at him until he noticed Ray was looking back at him and Barb was shaking his arm.

“Is it safe to unplug my ears now?” he asked, his voice sounding strange in his head. Barb nodded and he unplugged his ears, noticing her smirk. He raised his eyebrows at her and she raised hers back, giving him a knowing look. He tried to look innocently back at her but she just rolled her eyes.

“You didn’t have to zone out, you know,” she said, taking a sip of her iced tea.

“I was just thinking,” he said, sparing a glance at Ray. If he had noticed Ryan staring, he didn’t say anything. He just smiled at him and held up the coffee pot in his hand.

“Want a refill?” Ray asked and Ryan nodded, silently wondering if asking Ray if he was gay would get him anything other than a slap in the face. Once the mug was filled, Ray looked at Barb again.

“More tea? Refills are free,” he said to her and she nodded, handing him her empty glass. Ray took it and went back to the front, and while he was gone, the blonde turned her focus on Ryan.

“You are so into him,” she hissed, a giant grin on her face.

“Shut up,” Ryan mumbled, feeling his cheeks heat up.

Barb crossed her arms. “You stared at him the entire time we were talking, don’t even lie. He’s really cute, Ryan. You need to hit that.”

“Barb, I’m not gonna hit that,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “I don’t even know if he’s into guys. He could be straight and I’d rather not make him uncomfortable by asking him out in his work place.” Barb sighed through her nose and frowned.

“I would bet good money that that boy is definitely not straight, considering he only talked about romancing the male characters in Dragon Age with his usually male character,” Her face softened, and she added,. “Plus, I think he’s really into you too, since he kept glancing at you when we were talking about Blackwall.”

“What does Blackwall have to do with me?” Ryan asked, glancing at where Ray was trying to reach a cup on a high shelf.

“You and Blackwall are kinda similar - you know, besides the whole glorious beard and amazing warrior skills and the fact that you like men too,” Barb said with a small wave of her hand. “You both like helping others and you don’t like power hungry people. And you’re both total sweethearts on the inside.”

Ryan felt himself blush, not used to being complimented.

“You really think I’ll have a chance with Ray?” he asked, suddenly feeling nervous. “I don’t want to make him feel like he can’t say no.” Barb sighed and patted his hand across the table.

“Ryan, if you don’t ask him out soon, I’m going to do it for you, in a really embarrassing way,” she said and looked him in the eyes. Ryan nodded quickly, not wanting Barb to get involved. If he had her do it for him, there’d be too many puns and Ray would definitely say no.

“I’ll ask him another time,” he said, then glanced at his watch. “We have to head back to the office, our lunch is done in 10 minutes.” Barb rolled her eyes and groaned, not wanting to go back to work. Ray came back to their table then, two styrofoam cups in hand.

“I put your drinks in to go cups for you,” he said then shrugged. “I wasn’t sure when you guys had to get going, so I figured this would save time.” Ryan smiled at him and took the one that was offered, feeling warmth coming from it and smelling the fresh coffee inside.

“Thank you, Ray, we have to go now, so great timing,” Ryan said to him and slid out of the booth, standing and slipping his coat back on. Barb did the same and sipped her tea from her straw, looking at them both.

“I’ll ring you guys up, then,” Ray said, pulling their check from his apron pocket and walking to the register. Ryan and Barb followed him and Ryan pulled out his wallet. Ray rang them up quickly, and Ryan handed him his card.

“Thanks for talking with me, Ray,” Barb said, smiling. “You really think those tactics will work?” Ryan frowned, wondering if he should cover his ears again.

“Oh yeah,” Ray said, looking up at her. “If you aren’t careful, you might make a certain person turn against you.” He looked at her with his eyebrows raised and she made a face.

“That would suck,” she said. “I like that certain person.” She shrugged though, and turned towards the door once Ray handed back Ryan’s card.

“See you, Ray,” she called as she exited, and Ryan was left still standing at the register with the lad.

“Thanks for coming in,” Ray said, looking at Ryan over the top of his glasses. He pushed them up and Ryan could see his ears were slightly pink. He smiled at that, thinking maybe Ray did like him.

“I’ll probably come in again tonight,” Ryan said, feeling a sudden surge of confidence. “Will you be here?” Ray’s eyebrows went up at that but he shook his head.

“I only work the lunch shift today,” he said and Ryan deflated a little bit, so he added, “But I work both shifts tomorrow and Sunday.” Ryan smiled at that then gave Ray a small nod.

“I’ll most likely see you tomorrow then, if that’s okay,” he replied, and Ray returned his smile.

“I’d like that,” he said. “I never got to ask you about what games you play.” Ryan chuckled at that and Ray felt good.

“We’ll talk tomorrow, then,” Ryan finalized, backing towards the door.

“See you then, Ray,” he said with one last smile, then pushed open the door and left.

“Bye,” Ray said weakly, but Ryan was already gone. With a deep breath, Ray slumped forward onto the counter, his forehead making a quiet thunk when it connected with the marble. He stayed there for a while, contemplating how he got such a big crush on a guy he’s only seen and talked to a handful of times and how fucked he was that it wasn’t going to go away.

“You’re so gay, Ray,” Michael called through the kitchen window, but Ray didn’t reply, instead he just lifted his arm to flip off his friend half heartedly.


End file.
